While there have been a number of successes in my garden this year, as there always are, it feels at times that the successes are being outweighed by the disasters. After growing the Prunus avium 'Stella' cherry tree for three years it succumbed to a
bacterial disease common on fruit trees. Instead of destroying it altogether, I have chopped the tree down to a stump, sealed the wound, and am hoping for the best; the best being that the stump will turn out healthy shoots and I can grow the tree espalier style. I'm hoping but not really very confident about this happening as I think the bacteria may have gone right down the trunk. I could cry. It's gone from this:
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| Prunus avium 'Stella' Gisela 5 - April 2014 |
to this:
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Prunus avium 'Stella'
diseased tree cut back to a stump |
A few short weeks ago I bought a
miniature apple tree with two types of apples on it: James Grieve and Cox's Orange Pippin. It was grown by
Coronet (external link). Today I find that one of the branches is diseased and I have had to cut it right back to the main stem, remembering to seal it. I despair! In the image below left the leaves are drooping and wizening, and the tiny apple at the end has shrivelled. I've had to cut the branch off almost to the main stem, and sealed it. The full tree is shown in the image below right and there are a number of healthy apples.
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Young Cox's Orange Pippin
split circumferentially |
Apparently the
splitting of apples can be caused by irregular watering (Gardener's World). As it has just about done nothing but rain and winter, spring, and so far this summer, I am a little bewildered by this.
One thing I am sure of, I will be buying no more fruit trees to grace my garden. Done with that! I'll stick to my
Polka raspberries.
